as carried along
the western shore, and while so engaged I determined the width of the
upper wide part by triangulation at two points, the width of the narrow
middle part at three points, and the width of the lower part, at three
points. Dr. Dawson on his way out made a track survey of the eastern
shore. The western shore is irregular in many places, being indented by
large bays, especially at the upper and lower ends. These bays are, as a
rule, shallow, more especially those at the lower end.

"Just above where the lake narrows in the middle there is a large
island. It is three and a-half miles long and about half a mile in
width. It is shown on Schwatka's map as a peninsula, and called by him
Richtofen Rocks. How he came to think it a peninsula I cannot
understand, as it is well out in the lake; the nearest point of it to
the western shore is upwards of half a mile distant, and the extreme
width of the lake here is not more than five miles, which includes the
depth of the deepest bays on the western side. It is therefore difficult
to understand that he did not see it as an island. The upper half of
this island is gravelly, and does not rise very high above the lake. The
lower end is rocky and high, the rock being of a bright red color.

"At the lower end of the lake there is a large valley extending
northwards, which has evidently at one time been the outlet of the lake.
Dr. Dawson has noted it and its peculiarities. His remarks regarding it
will be found on pages 156-160 of his report entitled 'Yukon District
and Northern portion of British Columbia,' published in 1889.

"The width of the Lewes River as it leaves the lake is the same as at
its entrance, about 200 yards. Its waters when I was there were murky.
This is caused by the action of the waves on the shore along the lower
end of the lake. The water at the upper end and at the middle of the
lake is quite clear, so much so that the bottom can be distinctly seen
at a depth of 6 or 7 feet. The wind blows almost constantly down this
lake, and in a high wind it gets very rough. The miners complain of much
detention owing to this cause, and certainly I cannot complain of a lack
of wind while I was on the lake. This lake was named after one Mike
Labarge, who was engaged by the Western Union Telegraph Company,
exploring the river and adjacent country for the purpose of connecting
Europe and America by telegraph through British Columbia, and Alaska,
and across Behring